My Soul - Mi Alma (Ongoing)

26 Mama, Mick, Stuart and me

I had a short nap after breakfast with Mick and Stuart. When I got out again – my mum was in the roof garden with her signature glass of white wine.

"Mi Corazon," she got up and kissed me.

"So, what are you guys up to?" I asked, "and mama, why are you here – you know I would be jetlagged after my trip" I looked in terror at Stuart.

"Alma, I want to know everything about your stay in Spain, we are just talking – don't be so controlling," she smiled. "And Alma – Mick and Stuart told me about them being together, and frankly, I'm not surprised. I have thought for years that Mick was gay, that's why I was pretty reluctant when you guys married. I always felt that your marriage was more pressure from both of your dads than true romantic love. I think it's about time he comes out."

That mama was so cool about our situation was fantastic. I thought she would run her entire drama queen routine about my fake marriage. That woman never stops amazing me.

"Well, mama – first and foremost, Mick and Stuart are my best friends, and the three of us living together has worked great. The house is big, and we enjoy each other's company. Our dads are happy that Mick and I are respectfully married – and that is what we are – respectfully married. We have enormous respect and support for one another, and that is the main reason why we married in the first place, me well aware of Stuart being a part of the package." Stuart handed me a glass of wine - I think I need it.

"Why didn't you tell me years ago? Even Rosa kept quiet about this arrangement", mama sends us all a quizzing glance.

"We didn't want anyone to know, and I was not ready to come out. The deal between Alma and me was ideal for our situation – and remember it is a deal between best friends that should be reversed when Alma finds the man she wants to spend her life with – and I believe she has, so we are filing for an amicable divorce. Carlos stayed with us when he was in New York, and he is just a great guy. We visited Alma and Carlos in Madrid as well, and had a wonderful time." Mick took another sip of his wine.

I felt comfortable around my mama for the first time in years, now she knew, and she didn't mind the way we had organized our lives.

"So, tell me about the Alvarez men – Sebastian was always the levelheaded, and Juan the hot one," mama laughed.

"Juan is still hot – if you like men in their sixties, that is. He looks like an aging Zorro, and everyone teases him about his appetite for women. He told me I look just like he pictured you would look when you grew up – he even said I was amazingly beautiful – he made my day, but he's quite a flirt. He has been married three times and is the head of the University library in Sevilla. He gave me Gabriels ring, and it was quite emotional. I think he loved your brother. But why did you never talk about him, why didn't you ever talk about the network we have in Spain? I am so sad that I didn't learn what I now know when I was an intern at the Prado. I would have loved to hear the story from Abuelo, and not only from his old friends. I'm just so grateful that I got to go this time, and meet all the people I met that knew things important to the Bech family history. I'm so proud of my human and political inheritance" I had tears in my eyes and went inside to find the ring Juan gave to me.

When I handed mama the ring, she looked at me and started crying. "You know mi Corazon he had everything, my kind always caring big brother. In my eyes, he was the ultimate hero. He was almost five years older than me. When I was allowed to travel alone to Sevilla, at the age of 12,  to visit him – I was so proud – hey, look out! I'm 12 and travel alone from Barcelona to Sevilla. I stayed at the Alvarez residence, but I spent most of my time with the college boys, Gabriel and Juan. Gabriel almost lost some of his standing as my ultimate hero when I met Juan – that boy was hot! At 12, I fell hopelessly in love with a 17 years old who hardly even saw me, at least not as anything other than an annoying child, and the baby sister of his best friend.